


Jericho

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-06-17
Updated: 2008-06-17
Packaged: 2019-05-15 03:55:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14783153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: How Josh came to possess a specific item in his office.





	Jericho

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

  
Author's notes: This was a challenge presented to me. A friend of mine wanted to know how Josh got the Jericho March poster on his wall and what the significance of it was.  


* * *

Bartlet for America   
Fall 1998 

~DONNA’S POV~ 

I walk past Josh’s office in the campaign headquarters and wince slightly. Josh and Leo are having a rather heated argument. 

“I said NO, Josh.” Leo barks. 

“It’s my right, Leo. And you can’t tell me I can’t go.” 

“I CAN tell you, you can’t go. You want to know why?” 

“Yes, enlighten me please, Obi Wan.” Josh snarks. Leo shoots him a glare but opts to ignore Josh’s snarkiness. Josh and Leo speak to each other differently than the rest of the campaign senior staff does. Apparently, Leo was an old friend of Josh’s father and they know each other well. 

“Because when we win this election, you’re tapped for Deputy Chief of Staff. You’re supposed to be one of the best minds in the party. You tell me how it would look that the new Deputy Chief of Staff, a position, by the way, that’s pretty high up there on the pecking order, went and marched on the White House to protest the U.S.’s detainment of political prisoners weeks before the Presidential election.” 

Josh mumbles something, but I can’t make it out. 

“What was that, Josh? I didn’t quite hear you.” Leo says sarcastically. 

“Pretty bad.” Josh says louder and with all the maturity of a rebelling 14 year old. 

“Now, do you want to be the Deputy Chief of Staff under the next President of the United States or be a hippie?” 

“They’re not hippies, Leo.” 

“What do you want, Josh?” Leo replies. 

“Deputy COS.” he says blowing out a breath and dropping his head back. 

“I’m not saying you can’t have your opinions, Josh.” Leo says softening his tone a bit. “And I’m not saying that you can’t even voice them to me or the Governor, who will hopefully be the next President. I’m saying you can’t do it where there are television cameras and press.” 

Josh rubbed his hand down his face and sighed deeply. 

“I take it your friend Billy is going?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Remember Josh, there’s being outspoken and making your grievances known, but then there’s being a pain in the ass and hindering progress.” 

“Detaining prisoners for twenty-five years because they didn’t drink the government’s Kool Aid seems to be hindering progress, Leo.” Josh shoots back. 

“You don’t have to tell me that, Josh.” Leo says shaking his head. “You can’t go. I’m sorry. We’re all going to have to make sacrifices, Josh. YOU’RE going to have to make sacrifices that are going to be tough to swallow. You can probably kiss your personal life goodbye.” Josh snorts in response to this. This is because according to Josh, he hasn’t had a personal life since high school. “The image is more important now. What you do will reflect on the President and you’ll be a visible guy around here.” 

“I know.” Josh reluctantly acknowledges dropping his chin to his hand and leaning his elbow on his desk. 

“I don’t know if I can truly impress upon you, Josh, how your life is about to change and I can’t do this without you.” 

Josh looks up at Leo now and looks a little awed. 

“I’m with you, Leo. I am.” Josh nods sitting up. 

“I know you are. But, I also know you’re disappointed.” 

Josh shrugs and looks down to his lap. 

“I’ll see you in the morning.” Leo says. I duck out of sight by a file cabinet and wait until I know he’s gone before going into Josh’s office. 

“Hey.” I say leaning up against the door frame. 

“You’re still here?” he asked surprised looking up. 

“I was just coming back to tell you I was leaving. I overheard you and Leo.” 

“Yeah.” He says, pulling a file in front of him and rubbing his eyes. 

“What can’t you do?” I ask, pushing myself off the door frame and moving to an empty chair in his office. 

“It’s no big deal.” 

“Sounded like it was to you.” 

“The Jericho March is tomorrow. They’re marching on Washington.” 

“Seriously?” I asked amazed. I don’t see Josh as a protester. But then again, I haven’t known him long, and I certainly haven’t found out all I could about him yet. We talk a lot, and I know him a hell of a lot better than I know the rest of the staff. 

“Yeah. Doesn’t look like I’ll be joining them.” He takes the flyer and drops it in front of me. 

I have to admit. I don’t really know what it is. I’ve never heard of it. I did follow politics back in Wisconsin. I watch CNN, I read the papers. I’m mostly up on current events. But I’m not as in touch as Josh is. Josh has lived in Washington since he graduated college. He knows everything that’s going on around here. When he’s Deputy Chief of Staff, it’ll be his job to know more than everything that’s going on around here. Talk about having your finger on the pulse point. 

“I’m sorry, Josh.” I say quietly, picking up the flier and reading through it. 

“Seriously, it’s no big deal.” But he sounds so defeated. It’s not a tone of voice I want to get used to hearing from him. “I should have thought it through.” 

“Still...” I say quietly. 

“Yeah, still....” 

 

January 2000 

~DONNA’S POV~ 

“So, you guys put quite a show on today.” I smile, leaning up against Josh’s office door. 

“You’re still here?” he smiles looking up at me. “I thought you went home to get ready for the balls.” 

“I’m going in a couple minutes.”I nod. “Are you gonna swing by and get me?” 

“I can’t. You’ve got to get back here to go with the motorcade.” 

“How much time do I have?” 

“About an hour.” 

“Good thing I brought my dress with me.” I mumble. 

“You did?” 

“CJ suggested I run home and get it after the ceremony.” 

“Wow. That was foresight on her part.” 

“Yeah. Thank God.” I smile. 

“What do you think of the office?” He grins. 

“It’s definitely smaller than I would have pictured.” 

“It’s all about location. I’m closer than Sam and Toby.” 

“You outrank them.” 

“I know.” He smirks. “You should say that tonight around them.” 

“You’re incorrigible.” 

“Whatever.” 

“Listen, I got you something.” I say abruptly before I lose my nerve. 

“You got me something?” he stops short and looks at me. 

“Yeah.” 

“Like a present?” 

“I guess.” I shrug. 

“You got me an Inauguration Day present?” 

“More like a congratulations on the new job kind of present.” 

“Are you expecting something from me?” 

“You got me a job in the White House.” 

“Okay, well, if you’re counting that, I’ll take it. What’d you get me?” 

“It’s for your office.” I say. I pull the picture frame up that was leaning against the wall in the corridor and bring it in. 

“Okay.” 

“It’s not in a very expensive frame or anything. I’m on a budget. This is one of those it’s the thought that counts gifts.” 

“Donna,” he says softly. “What is it?” 

I pull the frame up and prop it up on the desk, holding it up so he can see it right and peek out at him from behind it. He’s wide eyed as he looks at the framed poster from the Jericho March in the fall. 

“I went.” I confess. He’s silent. “I looked it up that morning and I researched it a bit and I thought if you couldn’t go and it was that important to you, I’d go for you. So, I did. And I met Billy Molina and it was really cool.” 

He’s still silent. His eyes move from the poster to me. 

“You hate it, don’t you?” I say plucking the frame off his desk and leaning it on the floor. “You think it’s dorky.” 

“No!” He says quickly, lifting the frame back up. “It’s just...” 

“Just what, Josh?” 

He smiles softly and lowers his voice. “It’s just that nobody’s ever protested for me before. I don’t really know what to...think about it.” 

“Oh, well...” I drift off. 

“Thank you.” It’s so soft I almost wasn’t sure I heard it. He looks up at me with an unreadable expression and the air in the room seems almost charged. I’m reminded of the hug we shared when the networks called the election for President Bartlet. I remember thinking how well we fit and how we seemed to almost fold into each other. 

I hold his gaze for a moment. Then, something weird happens. I remember the conversation he had with Leo that night before this march. But oddly, the only part that seems to jump into my mind is the part about sacrifices. 

“Now it came about when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand, and Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us or for our adversaries?” He said, “No; rather I indeed come now as captain of the host of the Lord.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and bowed down, and said to him, “What has my lord to say to his servant?” The captain of the Lord’s host said to Joshua, “Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.” 

I jump at the sound of President Bartlet’s voice. God! He just snuck up on us then! Or did he? Was I just so caught up in that moment that I totally missed the entrance of the President of the United States? He’s standing right next to me, peering at the framed poster. 

“You’re in a position of power now, Josh. You can get things done.” the President says looking up to Josh. 

“Yes, sir.” 

“You have the ear of the President of the United States.” 

“I hope so, sir.” 

“Are you for us or for our adversaries?” 

“I serve at the pleasure of the President, sir.” Josh says immediately and with full conviction. 

“That’s got a nice ring to it.” the President smiles and winks at me. I am, as always, awed by his presence and this giant of a man before me. 

How did I get here? 

“I think so, too.” Josh smirks. 

Oh, that’s how. Josh let me come with him. 

“We don’t have long here in the grand scheme of things, Joshua. Be true to yourself and use your time well.” 

“I will, sir.” 

The President leaves his office and I look over at Josh with my jaw dropped. “That was nuts!” I say with a half amazed laugh. 

“Yeah.” He nods. He takes the frame from me and turns around and leans it up on his credenza. 

“You can take it home, Josh.” I say. “I don’t want you to get in trouble for it.” 

He turns around and looks at me surprised. “I’m hanging it on the wall, Donna.” 

“Really?” 

“You heard what the President said.” 

“Yeah, but...” 

“Donna, if I can’t exercise the First Amendment in the White House, what’s the point?” 

“Okay.” I smile. I’m touched that he likes the gift so much. And my head is still reeling from the encounter with the President. 

He gives the poster one more glance before turning his attention to me. “Some day, huh?” 

“And now we have nine balls to go to.” I say a little overwhelmed and lean up against his desk. 

“At least you don’t have to wear nine different dresses.” He says, coming around his desk to lean on it next to me. 

“Except I can’t wear the same dress for the next four years. This one wasn’t exactly cheap.” 

“You’ll be fine; you’ll figure something out.” 

Something catches his eye out in the bullpen and he elbows me gently and points out the door. I straighten up and look out the door and see a man putting a vase of flowers down on my desk. I walk over to my desk, sign for the arrangement, then pluck off the card to read it. 

“Donnatella, Congratulations on your new job. I couldn’t do any of this without you. Joshua.” 

I feel the tears sting my eyes and look over at Josh where he’s standing in his doorway. I could swear he was blushing right now. 

“You got me an Inauguration Day gift?” I toss his words back at him. 

“I’m a man of occasion.” he shrugs. When I start to walk towards him, he sees the tears in my eyes. “Oh, come on, Donna. Don’t cry. This is the White House, for crying out loud. Try and be professional.” 

I can’t help it. I throw my arms around his neck and though he protested a second ago, he hugs me anyway. 

“Thank you.” I whisper. 

“You’re welcome.” 

I pull away and smile. “You’re going to do good things here.” 

“WE’RE going to do good things here.” 

“It’s a little humbling, don’t you think?” I ask turning around and looking up. “When you think of all the people that came before us.” 

“It is humbling, Donnatella, for the place where you are standing is holy.” 

THE END


End file.
